Who has the advantage? Tigers and Rangers both benefit after Sunday's rainout

AP PhotoTexas Rangers' Alexi Ogando throws a pitch during the sixth inning in Game 1 against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday in Arlington, Texas.

It’s tough to say which club benefited more after Sunday’s rainout -- arguments can be made by both the Tigers and Rangers.

Texas manager Ron Washington said he didn’t intend on using reliever Alexi Ogando on Sunday, but the right-hander should now be available out of the bullpen following an entire days’ rest.

That's bad news for a Detroit squad that was limited to a .205 team batting average against Ogando in the regular season. The 28-year-old Ogando threw 32 pitches and two innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win Saturday night and is now 4-0 against them.

The Tigers, meanwhile, would seemingly be without outfielder Delmon Young for Game 2 if Sunday’s game hadn’t been postponed. Young was inserted in Monday’s lineup less than four days after suffering a strained left oblique. He unquestionably benefited with an extra day to recover.

Young will now hit third and start in left field in Game 2 -- two days after being left off the club's 25-man ALCS roster entirely.

Sunday’s rainout also allowed Tigers starter Max Scherzer to start with an extra day of rest after pitching 1 1/3 innings of relief last Thursday. Scherzer had thrown 32 pitches in Game 5 of the Division Series, and will now have three days between appearances instead of two.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he considered the rainout to be beneficial for both clubs.

"I don't see where it's a big advantage to the Rangers like everybody else says," Leyland said Monday afternoon. "I'm not saying it's a big advantage to us, either, but I don't think it's more of an advantage to them. I think it works just as well for us as for them."

Due to Game 2 being rescheduled for Monday, both teams will also have to adjust to playing four days in a row. As such, Texas’ Mike Napoli will likely catch in four straight days, which he hasn’t had to do yet this season. Napoli would typically split time behind home plate with Yorvit Torrealba in the regular season.

It could also be suggested the heavy rains in Texas this weekend could have benefited Detroit, even more so, by allowing Justin Verlander to pitch Game 4 on Wednesday. Verlander threw only 82 pitches on Saturday following two rain delays that forced an early exit.

Leyland squashed any such notion in Monday’s pregame press conference, reaffirming that Verlander will pitch Game 5 as previously scheduled.

“That will not change under any circumstances, even 0-3,” Leyland said.